Hi Tweets,

Reto Riesen writes:

>Michael,
>on the other hand, I am not sure whether criticizing someone's faux-pas in
>public is the best of manners.

Read more closely, Riesen:

"I'm not sure that doubting the credibility of someone's skills in public is
the best of manners, Kyle; I'm sure there are more tactful ways to handle
your reservations about the validity of someone's sightings."

Mild criticism, Reto, constructively given. Are you suggesting 'Don't
criticise, even constructively'? There is reservation and advice about what
may be appropriate for a *public* post, as well as mildly expressed
disapproval. And by slagging me for this, you are also slagging Ray Korpi,
who agreed with the general principle of being more discreet in a public
post (to quote):

>While I would generally agree with what Michael notes here, there are
>birds like Swainson's Thrush and House Wren whose occurrence in our
>environs in the winter is suspect. Some caution should be taken.

and who wants to be drawn into this about as badly as he wants a case of
Avian Flu. Given, that he agrees with me, why are you singling me out for
harsh criticism, Reto?

>I go public with that to express my
>support and gratitude for anybody who is actually DOING something out there.

Don't allow your anger to blind you to what's there. Read again, Reto, from
my original post:

"Thank you for posting the results."

>For heaven's sake, Michael, he is still a kid! (Kyle can blast me for that
>one)

I'm sure *that* remark will make him feel just fine on top of this all. Can
you say 'centered-out', kiddies? What are you implying here, Reto? Only a
bad grownup would criticise a kid? I guess that makes me the problem,
doesn't it?

>Ah yes, there is the connection to tweeters: There is inexperience
>in identification skills, and there is inexperience in writing up a
>report - both needs nurturing.

And was there *no one* in the Vancouver organisation who has had the
slightest time or foresight to teach a young person to post to a public list
appropriately, Reto? To help him learn *before* he makes a potentially
embarrassing mistake in fact or judgement? To teach him to have the
discretion to not doubt a person's skills in public? To teach him that codes
without their referents are useless unless everyone's familiar with them?
His performance reflects on the organisation.

When you couple this with the recent post which saw an operator of the
Vancouver Rare Bird Alert confess he didn't know that much about rare birds
and was learning on the job from scratch, and every slight improvement is
done so grudgingly, I'm beginning to fear that the public picture being
painted of your organisation's overall competencies is increasingly
unflattering. Instead of wasting time and energy slagging me,
you--individually and collectively--may want to develop more skills and
competencies.

And, Reto, if your organisation hadn't driven me away with such bafflingly
hostile vindictiveness, I *would* be helping develop those skills and
competencies as it demonstrably stands in need of them. However, if you feel
it serves you and your organisation better--and since you are now a
Director, I assume you're speaking ex officio--to plug the messenger full of
holes, feel free. It'll feel good even if it results in no constructive change.

But remember, please: in the final analysis, standard management practice
demands your organisation be judged solely on its public performance or
competence thereof, not the solidity of its internal consensus of its own
self-worth or that it or any of its public parts is above public criticism
or public comment. Ad hominem rancor is an unacceptable response to either.

>Patronizing, Michael, can drive away the
>future birdwatcher.

As I discovered when beginners called the Bird Alert during my term as
operator to complain of the way they'd been treated by authorities and
experts in the VNHS. Mostly it was elitist exclusion and condescension that
turned them off but sometimes it was receiving reactions like yours to
mildly critical stuff. Luckily I was able to salvage most of them and
they're still with us as increasingly-skilled Vancouver birders. You're
welcome, by the way, for my efforts at cleaning up the messes.

>[mea culpa: a long overdue public apology for patronizing to Martha
>Jordan, on an unrelated topic]

There is more joy in Heaven when one sinner repenteth, Reto... '-)

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)